Back in 2007, Facebook introduced brand pages allowing companies to build social relationships with their audience for the first time ever. It was back then, when social media marketing first began. With Facebook being the only Social Media platform offering this unique experience, it was rather easy for companies to maintain a consistent brand identity. Now, years later social channels have grown in popularity, and brands have the opportunity to be seen on a variety of different sites and platforms. Today it‘s common, if not necessary, for business to be active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ — just to name a few. Each one of these networks provides businesses access to a unique demographic of current and potential customers.
Every single of these networks requires a very different strategy, which leads to a dilemma. How can a business maintain a consistent brand identity while being active on several, very different, social networks? We are going to deal with this dilemma and figure out how to master a consistent brand identity on social media!
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
The most important aspect of social media marketing success is to understand your brand’s audience. It is nearly impossible to have any success if you are randomly posting without first understanding who your audience is, why they are following you and how your business can bring value to them. Imagine posting an amazing meat lovers recipe only to find out that your audience are vegetarians. It is also important to be aware of the diversity of each social network audience. For example, LinkedIn users will expect content to be more professional than Twitter users. Sharing the same content, but in a form that is appropriate for the specific network is crucial.
CREATE A RECOGNIZABLE LOOK
Before even posting your first post, make sure your business looks the same on your different social networks.
Each social network has a different layout, but make sure elements such as your profile image and cover photo are consistent. If possible, your social accounts should be consistent with your company’s stationery, outlook presence and website as well.
CHOOSE A BRAND VOICE
How will your brand interact? Will you use a playful/entertaining manner of responding? Responding using we or I?
A “right” or “wrong” way doesn’t exist in approaching a brand voice, other that it should be consistent. Your brand’s voice must also reflect your business as a whole. Social media is about showing who your business is, so try to reflect it in your voice.
Having clearly understood your audience makes it easier to decide the voice that your brand should adapt in its social media presence.
Here is the example of Nike, one of the most widely recognized brands in the world. Take a look at how Nike has displayed their brand’s logo, colors and voice similarly across various platforms.
POST FREQUENTLY
Creating a consistent brand identity requires maintaining a regular post schedule. Nothing is more harmful on your brand than creating social media accounts and then not posting to them. If a potential client enters in your brand page on Facebook and sees that you haven’t post in a month, he can easily hypothesize you went out of business.
Staying consistent is simple. There is no need to complicate the matter. You need to take one step at a time.
Make the right preparation, be active and committed. Also make sure anyone that will get involved with your social media presence is trained how to maintain your brand’s identity. Believe it or not, Social Media Branding directly affects buyer behavior. According to a study conducted by Socialnomics, social media influences a shocking 93% of shoppers’ buying decisions. When a brand is noticeably consistent, customers begin to trust them and want to buy from them!
If wish to discuss how you present your business on Social Media, you can Contact Us anytime.
References:
http://mashable.com/2012/03/30/facebook-for-brands/#R78gMNTpRgqW
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/social-brand-identity/
https://www.tmprod.com/blog/2015/social-media-branding-how-to-send-a-consistent-message-across-all-social-platforms/